User Research Lead

User Research Lead - Digital Products & Customer Experience (12-month FTC)

Location: Hybrid (Manchester, 3 days onsite)

Salary: £65,000 - £75,000 + Excellent Benefits Package

Are you passionate about delivering customer-first digital experiences through insight-driven research?

We're looking for a User Research Lead to head up research efforts across a range of online products and services, ensuring user needs are at the heart of every design decision.

This is a fantastic 12-month fixed-term opportunity to join a well-established, digitally focused organisation where customer experience and accessibility are front and centre. You'll help shape product strategy, mentor researchers, and embed user-centred thinking across teams.

The Role:

• Lead and mentor a small team of user researchers, encouraging collaboration, continuous learning, and research excellence.

• Drive user research strategies that uncover actionable insights and influence product, design, and business decisions.
• Ensure consistency in research approaches and findings across multiple digital products and services.
• Champion inclusive design by embedding accessibility research and working with users of diverse abilities.
• Work closely with stakeholders in product, design, engineering, and brand to integrate research into every stage of development.
• Encourage innovative methods and experimentation in research practices.
• Facilitate workshops, journey mapping, and research critiques to foster alignment and drive optimisation.
• Align research priorities with strategic goals to deliver maximum impact across customer journeys.

What You'll Bring:

• Strong background in user-centred research with experience in both qualitative and quantitative methods.
• Previous leadership or management experience in a research setting.
• Proficiency with tools such as UserTesting, Hotjar, or similar usability and survey platforms.
• Solid understanding of digital accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG) and inclusive research practices.
• Experience working with cross-functional teams in an Agile or product-led environment.
• Ability to translate complex data into clear, actionable insights for technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Familiarity with design systems and their relationship to research and usability standards.
• Confident communicator and stakeholder manager, able to balance business needs with user priorities.

Why Apply?

• Join a user-driven culture focused on meaningful digital experiences
• Shape research direction across multiple high-impact digital products
• Enjoy a flexible hybrid working model and collaborative environment
• Access a competitive salary and well-rounded benefits
• Make a real impact in a senior, fixed-term leadership role

This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of a business that is experiencing significant growth and investing in its future success. If you have the skills and experience outlined above, then please apply with an updted CV.

Please note: This role requires all candidates to have no current or future requirement for sponsorship to work in the UK.

Role: User Research Lead - Digital Products & Customer Experience (12-month FTC)

Location: Hybrid (Manchester, 3 days onsite)

Salary: £65,000 - £75,000 + Excellent Benefits Package

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Nice-to-have skills

• Agile
• HotJar

• Manchester, England, United Kingdom

Work experience

• UX Researcher

Languages

• English